clark



N.E.cLARK EXPANDED METAL MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 28. I9I7.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

Summa N. E. CLARK.

EXPANDED METAL MAQHINE. APPuc/srlon man APR. 2a. 1911.

1 ,3 1 ,507 Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

::-j 4 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- UNITED .srArEs Parent euries.

NOBJLIS ELMORE CLRK, 0F PLAINVILLE, CONNECTICUT, ASSIG'NOR TO ROBERT S.

ALLYN, TRUSTEE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

DED-METAL MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

eral character. It is my main object to imrove these constructions so asto permit of ongl high speed operation, facilitate construction andreplacement of parts and permit adjustment of guides for the stock tocorrespond with the height of the cutters.

In the preferred form the guides for the stock are especiallyconstructed so as to be vertically adjustable and articulated so thatthe entrance end may remain at substantially the xed height of theinfeeding rolls and the parts adjacent the cutters may be verticallyadjusted up and down to cory sa.

respond with the height of the die cutters. Lifters andv strippers aremovable with the punch and die cutters so as to grip the stock adjacentthe cutting edges and prevent it from drawing over and wearing the edgesof the cutters. Each individual cutter is held positively to its holderby a single screw andforced into its seat by a separate screw. Themarginal and interlor unslitted strips of `the stock as it leaves theslittin tools may be guided along upwardly curved guides and theintermediate unslitted strips may be carried down between these guidesso as to corrugate the stock and open the meshwork. n

Figure 1, is a longitudinal, vertical, sectional view of mechanismembodying the improvements/of my invention showing the parts in theirrelativepositions for actionbut with the punch member raised higher thanit would be in actual practice and the expanding member disconnectedfrom the punch member.

Fig. 2, is a similar transverse sectional view, some parts being omittedand somev 2j broken away.`

Fig. 3, is a plan-view ofthe die member With partsof thtdglldes brokenaway, and

Smirarts Omit Fig. 4, is a view of the under side of the punch membershowing parts broken away, and some parts omitted.

Fig. 5, shows an enlarged plan of die units and a horizontal section ofthe coacting punch unit.

Fig. 6, is a vertical longitudinal section of the die unit of Fig. 5. l

The die holder 10 is adapted to be secured in any suitable manner to thebed of any suitable type of press having an automatically reciprocatinggate which carries the punch holder 11.

The punches and dies as herein shown are in the form of wed e-shapedcutter-units such as 12 and 13. ach cutter has its cutting edges formedso as to produce the desired lengths of slits and bonds for instance,such as set forth in my Patent #1,146,554. The cutting edges may be flator slightly sheared if desired. The die holder is provided with a seriesof seats such as 14 for the die cutters and the punch holder is providedwith a series of seats such as 15 for the punch cutters. The cutters areclamped to their respective holders by screws such as 16 and 17 and eachcutter is forced into its seat by screws such as 18 and 19. Figs. 5 and6 show wedge blocks 12 and 13a with the cutting edges on separate plates12 and 13 and the 11p-keep cost of this is less than with one-piececutters. Packing lates such as 12b may be employed if desire A' V-shapedstripper or lifter 2O is located between adjacent die cutters beneaththe punch cutter so as to hold the stock against the edges of the punchcutter and prevent it from drawing in between the cutting edges. Thislifter 20 has two ears 21 at one end and an ear 22 at the other end,which ears extend beyond the opposite ends of the coacting die cutters.The ear 22 carries a rod 23 which is adapted to be screwed up or down soas to adjust the height of its lower end. The lower end rests on a rod24 which is pressed upward by a sprin 25 and screw 26. v Each ear 21carries a ro 27 which is also vertically adjustable and rests 'on a rod28 which is pressed upward by a spring 29 and screw 30. The up er end ofeach rod 28 fits in a bushin 31 w ich fits snugly in the opening 32 at te end of the corresponding cutter seat 14. These lifting strippers arethus ided between the adjacent die cutters an serve not only to hold thestock-while it is being cut, but to lift the stock from between'thecutters after the cut ting stroke. v

The punch cuttersare also preferably provided with spring pressedstripping and holding means, in this case shown to be a for the punchcutters 13.

single plate 35 having openings 36 to allow This stripper plate 35 maybe guided and connected to the punch member 11 by a number of screwssuch as 37 and pressed downward by a number of sprlngs such as 38. Tokeep the tools in good working order it is desirable that the edges ofthe strippers 20 adjacent the die cutters and the edges of the stripper35 adjacent the punch cutters be kept smooth and hard. Obviouslyindividual upper gripping strippers may be used between the' punchcutters as between the die cutters, or the lower gripping lifter-s 20may be connected as in the case ofthe upper member 35.

For accuracy of work and long life 0f the cutters when operating at highspeed it is desirable that the punch and die members be yaccuratelyguided .in their vertical movement and for that purpose I provide apillar-post 40 at each corner `of the die holder which fits in avertical hole 41 'in a correspending corner of the punch holder. Thesepillar-posts prevent any lateral or torsional displacement of theholders even though the gate of the press may fit somewhat loosely inits guides. These pillar-posts also make it possible to assemble'andadjust vthe tools on the bench.

The press carrying these tools should be provided rwith a suitablefeeding mechanism such as a pair of rolls 45 driven intermittently by asuitable form of ratchet or worm.

Y The lengthof feed will beadjusted so as to give the desired width ofstrand as set forth in my Patents #1,146,554 and #1,224,523.

These feed rolls. are usually arranged atea fixed height and the toolsareof course varied in height as they are ground down or new onessustituted. It is accor 1y desirable t.. have some form of verticaadjustable guides for carrying the Vstoc from the feed rolls to theupper faces of the die cutters. I have accordingly .provided a guideconstruction which can be. removed and assembled and adjusted as auni-t. 'The end members 46 have fla es 47 itt' in the slotted ends 48 ofthe die holders. T ese end members 46 are adapted to be clamped at theends of the die holders by bolts 49. The end members are connected by acro plate 50 secured to the flan es 51 below the level of the stock atthe ineeding side. A

. cover plate 52 is secured to the end members 46 for instance by screwsor bolts 53. This cover plate has an, opening to vallow for the punchcutters and strippers. The

vertical `space between the pl 50 and vof the punch holder.- v

52 is just suiiicient to allow for the greatest thickness of the stockwhich it is 'desired to handle. These plates 50 and 52 are adapted-f tobe adjusted up and down with the end members 46 to correspond with theheight of the die cutters.

To connect up the feed rolls with the guide plates and 52 I provide anintermediate guide member as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Each end member 54is hinged at4 55 on a bracket 56 which is vertically adjustable andadapted to be clamped by a bolt 57 passing through a vertical slot 5-8.

The end members 54 are connected by a lower cross plate 59 and by anupper cross plate 60 with a space beneath the top plate 60 suicientlydeep to accommodate the greatest gage of stock which it is intended tohandle. By adjustingthebracket 56 up and down and tilting the endmembers 54 and cross' plates 59 and60, the guides may be so adjusted asto take the stock directly from the feed rolls 45 and deliver it betweenthe guide plates 50 and 52.

To facilitate guiding the stock and holding it during the slitting andguiding it away from the tools it is desir-able to form shallow beads atthe edges. For this purpose feed rolls 45 may be provided with grooves45 and beads 45. The end 'piece 54 will be provided with a correspondingbead 54 and the cover guide plate 60 will be provided with acorresponding groove 60 The end member 46 will be provided with acorresponding bead 46 and the cover complished by the curved expandingguide members 65 arranged between the adjacent curved broad stripguides. These members 65 may be pivoted at 66 and operated by one ormore links 67 connected to the gate orthepunchmemberll so that as thepunch member reciprocates the expanding guide member 65 swings upanddown and thusgradually and progressively opens the mesh- To4pro'fvide work. 'The mar 'nal and interior broad strip guide mem ersmay be mounted so as to be vertically adjustable asat 68 so as tocorrespond with the height of the die cutters. As the expanding members65v are connected to the reci rocatingl member they are initiallyadjusted with the adjuent What I claim is 1. In a slitting machine, aseries of die cutters arranged in a row transversely of the machin aguide member vertically adjustable w1th respect to the cutting faces ofsaid die cutters, said guide member comprising a guide plate extendingtransversely and upper and lower bead guide sections and an introductoryguide vertically adjustable and hinged on a horizonvtal axis and punchcutters coacting with the die cutters.

2. Ina slitting machine, a series of die cutters, lifters arrangedbetween the die cutters, vertically adjustable upper and lower guides atopposite sides provided with interiitting beads and grooves, a pair ofin- -troductory feed rolls and a vertically adjustable tiltingintroductory guide between the feed rolls and the cutters.

3. As an article of manufacture, a stri per for a slitting machine,comprising a shaped body portion and three' guide pins carried thereby,one of said ide pins being located at the point of the @land the otherpins being located at the opposite ends thereof.

4. In a slitting mechanism, a holder having a plurality of seats withtapered sides arranged spaced a art from each other transversely of theho der, a cutter block mounted in each seat and a single clam screw foreach cutter block passing throng the holder at right angles thereto andscrewed into the approximate center of the cutter block and a forcingscrew for each cutter block, each forcing screw passing through theholder substantially parallel to the cutting face of against the taperedsides of its seat.

5. Slitting mechanism including a holder,

wedge-shaped cutters carried thereb and a vertically movable V-shapedmem r arranged between adjacent cutters adaptedto coact with the punchcutter to hold the stock adjacent the edges of the cutters, the ends ofthe V-shaped member projecting longitudinally beyond the ends of the.cutters, a rod carried by each end of the V-shaped member, guides forsaid rods in said holder and sprin for said rods.

wed

vertically movable V-shapedmem r arranged between adjacent cuttersadapted to coact with the punchv cutters to hold the stock adjacenttheedges of thecutters, the

ends of the V-shaped member projecting loni jgitudinally beyondthe ends'of the cutters,

y each endof thev V-shaped a rod carried ,-,memberxguides forfsaidr'o'ds 'in said holder',

:l springs '-just said rods for effectingjthe height of orsaid rods 'andAmeans for aidsaid;` #shaped 'member relativel to said -cut- 6. littingmechanism including a holder,

-shaped cutters carriedthereb and a 1 7. A s an article of manufacture,a stripper for a slitting machine, comprising a V- shaped body portionand three guide` pins carried thereby, one of said guide pins beinglocated at the point of the V and the other pins lbeing located at theopposite ends thereof, said pins being adjustably mounted in said bodyportion.

8. Slitti'ng mechanism including a die holder having vertically slottedportions at opposite sides, removable cutters carried by said holder, aguide member having lateral projections vertically adjustable in theslotted portions of Said holder, Said guide member having lower andupper plates for guiding the stock to the cutters. 4

9. Slitting mechanism including a die adjustable guide member havingupper and l. lower plates arranged to guide the stock to said cutters, apair of feed rolls and a tilting guide between said feed rolls and saidt guide member.

v1-0. 'Slitting mechanism including punch and die holders, cutterscarried thereby, means for guiding the stock substantially on a levelwith the cutting faces of the die cutters, and a vertically adjustabletilting guide leading to said iding means.

1l. Slitting mechanism including a die holder, cutters carried thereby,a gui e member for the stock substantially on a level with the cuttingfaces of said cutters, oppositely disposed vertically adjustable memberscarried by said holder, hinged end members carried by said verticallyadjustable members and upper and lower guide plates carried by saidl endmembers.

.12. Slitting mechanism including a die holder, cutters carried therebyarranged with their cutting edges in zig-zag line trans-v their cuttingedges arranged in zig-zag line across the holder, a verticallyadjustable guide member includin beaded and ooved portions at op ositesi es of said ho ders, a pair of beade and grooved feed rolls and anangularly adjustable guide member between said feed rolls and saidvertically adjustablel guide member.

14. Slittin .mechanism including-a holder, having a p urality of seatsspaced apart transversely'of the holder and each havin converging sidewalls, .a cutter unit secure on' each seat betweenlv the sidewalls, eachcomprising two plates oppositely vinclined relative to the direction ofVfeed and each v operated with the upper cutters forexpandvthe cuttingedges of each pair inclined toward each other in the direction of feedof the stock, longitudinally curved marginal guides and correspondinglycurved interior guides arranged in line between the adjacent pairs ofcutters and longitudinally curved hinged expanding members alternati ingwith the marginal and 4interior guides ing the meshwork as 1t leaves thecutters,

16. In an expanded metal machine, means for feeding stock lonitudinally, upper and lower curved guides or the -unslitted strips ofthe stock, curved expanding members hinged between the guides and meansfor oscillating said expanding members to open the mesh between theguides.

17. In an expanded metal machine, means for feeding stocklongitudinally, upper and vertically adjusting lower curved guides forthe unslitted strips of the stock, curved expanding members hingedbetween the ides, vmeans for oscillatin said expandlng members to openthe mes between theides and means for t e guides.

18. ln an expan ed ries of upper and lower cutters arranged toslit'sections of' a sheet and leave unslitted marginal and intermediateunslitted strips, a series 'of curved guides extending away from saidcutters for guiding the unslitted strips and oscillating expandingmembers -axiranged between the curved guides for openingl the slittedportions into meshwork.

19. lnl an expanded vmetal machine, a series of upper and lower cuttersarranged toA slit sections of a sheet and leave unslitted marginal andintermediate unslitted Strips, a 'series of curved guides extendlngupwardly away from said cutters for guiding the unslitted strips andhinged expanding members arranged between the curved guides operatingintermittently for openlng the slitted portions into meshwork.

NGRRIS- ELMORE CLARK.

metal machine, a se

